Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-21
SOUTHERN MEXICO.
AN IMPORTANT SECTION OF OUR
SISTER REPUBLIC.
Golden Opportunities for American
Capitalists in Jaliscc. hut No
Place for u Poor Man.
Especial Correspondence OF the RECORD UNION !


Not only is Jelisco one of the richest of
the Mexican States, both in mines and ag-
ricultural resources, and most interesting
in history and scenic beauty, but it is one
of the most important in point of size,
having population of nearly million
and an area of 101 ,450 square kilometers.
Its center is traversed from north to south
by the main range of the Sierra Madre, and
on both sides of this great cordillera are
ravines and fertile valleys, watered by no.
BILE rivers. Near its southern borders tow
ers the now active volcano of Colima "a, ,66S
meters high, and the Bufa de Bolanos
which attains hight of 1000 meters.
Hidden away in these mountains, but
not so securely as to be beyond reach of
man, are gold and silver enough toenrich a
dozen empires and though in this land of
BldndRd and lack of enterprise the majority
of the mines are still undereloped, three
lodes that have made Mexico famous are
being worked in Jalisco-those of BolanoS
Cuale and Bramador-whose annual pro-
duct averages 81 ,677 ,532, furnishing en-
pioyment for more than 6.000 men,
In coming here, one must not think he
is leaving civilization and refinement be-
hind him, for though so far from what we
are accustomed to consider the worlds heart,
Jaliscoans are not without a high degree
of cultivation.
HIDDEN AWAY IN THE MOUNTAINS,
Remote from railroads and practically cut
off from the rest of mankind by reason of
the difficult journey between-indeed, al
most unknown to the great world beyond
these enVironing hights-are cities which
have tlOurished for centuries, where people
of wealth and education eniov life after
their once quaint fashion. To those at a
distance, who hear of these out-of- -the-way
places only through the reports of some
wandering scribe, they seem unreal as a
mirage of Sahara, and it is difficult to re-
alize that life goes on here much as at
home or, at least, that human nature is
about the same, and people love, hate,
marry and die as elsewhere
The truth is, we Anglo-Saxons are too
much given to conceit concerning our
boasted institutions" and the so-called
superior civilization of the nineteenth CEN
tury, of which the United States and Eng
land claim to be the highest exponents,
while it is quite the fashion to scornfully
reproach or contemptuously condole with
lutot IOr
being the reverse. Nor does the spirit of
the age content itself with this. Acting on
the presumption that every nation which
does not come up TO the Anglo Saxon
standard of political and social perfection is
gone to perdition unless something yigor-
Gus is done for its salvation, the world occa-
sionally hears of cities being bombarded
into commercial relations. and people
being robbed for the good of their souls
Were it less arrogant. the spirit of the
age might be better instructed-and better
instructed, better behaved. Fully compre-
hending these Spanish-American commu-
mites, it might become impressed with the
fact that in most of them a civilization pre-
walls which, in domestic goodness and re-
hgious sentiment in intelligence and hon
est industry, will compare favorably with
that in colder latitudes which is so superla-
lively lauded. Without admitting the
feasibility of their being
VARIOUS FORMS OF CIVILIZATION
Each determined by the character of the
people who exhibit it, of whose special in
terests, genius, resources and the climate in
which they live it is the natural develop.
ment-the spirit aforesaid might be fiat
tered in observing throughout these dis.
paraged communities, not few of the Gus
toms, mechanical appliances household
comforts and political ideas of which il
claims the exclusive paternity.
For example, all the important towns OF
this forgotten corner of the earth are fur
nished with electric lights, tramways, tele-
graphs, telephones, etc; and in many
lesser particulars are the tastes, Judgment
and ingenuity of the outer world acknowl-
edged. The Governors carriage, and
several others in Guadalaiara and Zapotlan
first tried their springs on Broadway; the
United States furnished the rifles, England
the cannon and France the uniforms
for the soldiers of this nation; Spain
contributed the engineering ability which
has given Jalisco some of the finest
roads in the world, and Germany the
manufacturers of saddles, paper, cloth and
glass, while to an adventurous Londoner
was suggested the advantage of establish
ing near the State Capital, within easy
reach of the legislators, lager beer reservoir
of considerable capacity-whose worms and
caldrons, by the way, were made in New
York. France has also introduced her
dainty boots here, her smelling bottles,
opera-g glasses, sun-shades, her bon-tons.
pdStclteS and thin wines. London, Paris
and Madrid furnish gaud and gear" for
Jaliscoan dudes and dudesses; nor is the
distant Orient forgotten in this informal
exposition of the artistic skill of more
pretentious naions-China With her tea,
Japan with her lacquer work, Persia with
her rugs, etc.
Jalisco's taxable property is officially
estimated at thirty-seven millions of 6ol-
lars. The State funds support
OVER 700 PRIMARY SCHOOLS,
Besides a "lyceum for boys and an
other for girls, an institute of science, a
female seminary and a Catholic college;
also, the big university at Lagos, the sem
mary of Zapotlan and the Academy OF
Fine Arts in Guadalaiars.
Besides the railroad which is to run
from the State Capital 10 San Bias, the
Mexican Central has already projected and
in operation lines from Leon to Lagos.
from Guadalajara southeast to Lake Cha
pata, from San Bias to Mazatlan. from
Guadaiaiara to San Luis Potosi, and from
Quad ,lajara to Celaya. The Mexican Ma
tional also has line projected along the
northern shore of Chapala, via Colima to
Manzanillo and the Pacific coast road has
projected lines running from San Bias
north to Mazatlan and south to Manzanillo.
The diligencias, which ply between Guada-
lajara and the Pacific coast, pass through a
most interesting country, taking IN the viii
lages of Amatit Inn TeyuiIa TeYtIau 20